Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Scruffy, stylish crime drama about would-be art thief.
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Why Age 14+?
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The Mastermind
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE MASTERMIND, it's the early 1970s, and James "J.B." Mooney (Josh O'Connor) is visiting the Framingham Museum of Art in Worcester, Mass., with his wife, Terri (Alana Haim), and their two sons. J.B. takes the opportunity to steal a small figure, just to see if he can. Thus proving that the museum's security is lax, J.B. gets the idea to up his game and nab four abstract paintings by Arthur Dove. So he assembles a team and cons his mother (Hope Davis) out of some money, lying to her about needing supplies for an upcoming job. The theft, for the most part, goes smoothly, and J.B. carefully hides the paintings away. But things start to take a turn when one of his accomplices, Gibson (Javion Allen), gets arrested for a different robbery.
Is It Any Good?
Kelly Reichardt's ironically titled ninth feature is a shaggy, bad-luck crime story that deliberately and brilliantly sucks anything thrilling or glamorous out of the life of an art thief. The Mastermind has echoes of two of Reichardt's previous crime-centered movies, First Cow and Night Moves. All three films demonstrate the allure of crime but then quickly and subversively switch to the fallout. This time, even the robbery seems absurdly anticlimactic, with one of J.B.'s crew quitting at the last second and a sad, desperate tussle with an aged security guard. (The scruffy 1970s production design and jazzy music score loom over everything.) J.B. has a small moment of victory as he admires the paintings in his living room before packing them up and hiding them, but then, almost as an omen, his ladder accidentally falls after he hides them in a hayloft, and he's forced to jump down. His luck never improves from there.
Reichardt's style lies in her keen observation of moments, small interactions that may seem meaningless but actually reveal everything. When J.B. eats meals with his parents, his domineering father (the great Bill Camp) reminds him of his failures by comparing him to others' successes. And when J.B. is unceremoniously picked up by a carload of criminals, the driver, Jerry (memorable character actor Matthew Maher) tells him what he did wrong: "Never work with drug addicts, dealers, or wild cards. You know ... for next time." J.B. finds one more small moment of peace with old friends (John Magaro from First Cow and Gaby Hoffmann) before losing all sense of humanity and normalcy and falling into desperation. Ultimately. the main character of The Mastermind was never the master of anything. But Reichardt surely is.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Mastermind portrays J.B.'s crime and its fallout. Do you think many crime movies glamorize a life of crime (for example, the Ocean's Eleven movies)? How does this one do the opposite?
How are drinking and smoking depicted? Were either done more casually/frequently in the 1970s? How have things changed since then?
How well does J.B. communicate with members of his family? What are the potential consequences of dishonesty and lack of compassion in communication?
How is the movie's title ironic?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 17, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : December 12, 2025
- Cast : Josh O'Connor , Alana Haim , Hope Davis
- Director : Kelly Reichardt
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : MUBI
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Family Stories ( Dads )
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language
- Last updated : October 14, 2025
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